Gas-engine.



No. 689,35l.

, Patented Dec. l7, l90l. M. F. BATES.

GAS ENGINE. (Application filed June 22, 1899 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES.

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No. 689,35I. Patented Dec. I7, I90! M. F. BATES.

GAS ENGINE.

(Application filed June 22, 1899.) (lo Model.) 3 Shaets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES L [.N'V'EJV'TOR.

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rm: uonms PETERS ca. mom-umd.. wmmwou. u. c.

No. sa9,s5|. P atented Dec. l7, mm. m. F. BATES.

GAS ENGINE.

(Application filad June 22, 1599.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

RD- N rri S N i v0 e I fi I I a p a Q l WITNESSES. INVEN'IOR.

Attorneys.

MADISON F. BATES, OF

anion.

ATENT LANSING, MICHIGAN.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 689,351, dated December 17, 1901.

Application filed June 22 1899. Serial No. 721,426. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MADISON F. BATES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lansing, in the county of Ingham, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines; and I do declare the following to be a full,-clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to gas or explosive engines; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to produce an engine of the character described in which the arrangement is such as to produce a simple and efiicient governor mechanism to regulate the impulses so as to maintain the engine at normal speed and to provide for controlling the admission and exhaust valves, as well as the supply of the explosive fluid, in a simple and efficient manner. This object is attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of an engine embodying my improved features, parts being broken away and wheel removed. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the engine as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the engine. Fig. 4 is a detail, partly in section, through the wall of the cylinder adjacent the cornbustion-chamber, showing air passage-way communicating with the admission-valve and connected with. the carbureter and with the air-intake pipe through which the explosive charge is conveyed past the admission-valve into the combustion-chamber. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail in elevation of the centrifugal governor-weight mounted on the driver, which is fast to the driving-shaft.

Referring to the characters of reference, A designates the engine-bed, in which is mounted the cylinder B, having therein the reciproeating piston O. Crossing the rear end of the engine-bed and suitably journaled therein is the main shaft D, whose crank E is journaled to one end of the connecting-rod F, the other end of said rod being journaled at a to the piston. In the other end of the cylinder is located the combustion-chamber G,into which leads a port 1), controlled by admission-valve -c, through which the explosive charge is ad mitted to said chamber. Leading from said chamber, on the opposite side thereof, is an exhaust-port (1, controlled by exhaust-valve c and connected with exhaust-pipe H.

I designates the carbureter, into which the explosive fiuid is pumped through pipe f by the pump K, which is connected by means of the pipe g with the supply-tank. (Not shown.) The overflow-pipe it returns the surplus fluid to the source of supply. The pipe 0 leads from the carbureter into the port I) in the wall of the combustion-chamber, so' that the gas passing therefrom into said port encounters a strong current of air which passes through said port from the air-intake pipe P, whereby said gas is thoroughly mixed with air and is carried into the combustionchamber past the admission-valve c. Any excess of fluid which maydrip into the carbureting-chamber is conveyed to the returnpipe h by means of the short pipe m, leading from the base of said chamber. A valve Q in the air-pipe Nregulates the quantity of air which passes therethrough into the carbureting-chamber.

Fixed upon one end of the main shaft D is a spiral gear R, which meshes with a spiral pinion S, carried on a stub-shaft n, supported at right angles to said main shaft. The pinion S is adapted to make one revolution to two revolutions of the gear R. Upon the end of the shaft 07. is a disk 0, having a pinp projecting from the face thereof near the margin of said disk. T designates a rock-shaft extending longitudinally of the engine-bed and having at its rear end an arm q, adapted to engage and follow the pin on the disk 0 as said disk revolves, whereby a rocking motion is imparted to the shaft T. Fixed to the forward end of the shaft T is a crank-arm U, which is pivoted at its outer end to a recip rocatory rod V, crossing the end of the combustion-chamber, whereby the movement of the rock-shaft causes the rod V to reciprocate longitudinally in its bearings.

On the outer end of the reciprocatory rod ICO V is a loose sleeve r,"having attached thereto a spring-arm s,whose projecting end engages the valve-stem t of the ad mission-valve c, which valve is normally held to its seat by means of the coiled spring a. Fixed upon said rod V, adjacent to said sleeve, is a collar t, adapted to engage said sleeve to hold the admission-valve closed,as hereinafter stated. Mounted upon the rook-shaft T is an arm w, which is adapted to engage the projecting stem or of the exhaust-valve e and open said valve against the action of its closing-spring 1 to discharge the products of combustion after an explosion and to give vent to the combustion-chamber, so as to permit of an unimpeded movement of the piston when the engine is running above the normal speed.

Mounted upon the reciprocatory rod V is a curved arm Z, which is adapted to engage the piston-rod \V of the pump K, whereby said pump is operated to force the explosive fluid into the reservoir of the carbureter as said rod V is moved back and forth.

Located in the end of the combustion-chamberis aplate 1,upon which the igniting mechanism is mounted. Passing through said plate and journaled therein is a rock-arm 2, carrying upon the inner end thereof an electrode 3, which is suitably included in an electric circuit. (Not shown.) Also passing through the plate 1 is an insulated rod 4, carrying upon its inner end an electrode 5,

which projects into the path of electrode 3 of the rock-arm 2. Electrode 5 is also included in said electric circuit.

Made fast to the outer end of the rock-arm 2 is a block 6, to which is attached a flat curved spring 7, whose lower end depends into the path of the pawl 8, pivoted to the reciprocatory rod V. As the piston moves away from the end of the cylinder containing the combustion-chamber a vacuum is created in said cylinder which causes a rush of carbureted air through the port I), as before described, and past the admission-valve into said chamber. This carbureted air fills the combustion-chamber in such quantity as to afford a charge which is compressed within said chamber upon the return of the piston. At the time the piston reaches the limit of its stroke in compressing said charge the reciprocatory arm V, actuated by the rock-shaft, will have carried the pawl 8 against the spring 7 and moved the rock-arm 2 to cause the electrode 3 thereon to bear forcibly against electrode 5, thereby closing the electric circuit through said electrodes, the movement of the parts being so timed that the spring 7 slips from the end of said pawl at the moment the piston reaches the limit of its travel, so that said spring recoils with such force as to separate the electrodes quickly, thereby producing a strong spark within the combustionchamber, causing an explosion of the charge therein and giving an impulse to the engine. The coiled spring 9, attached to the upper end of the blolrti, serves to return and maintain said rock-arm in its former position. As the piston travels to the limit of its stroke after an explosion the ports 10, formed through the wall thereof, are uncovered by said piston, affording exhaust-openings through which the pressure in the cylinder is reduced and the gases created by the explosion escape to the atmosphere.

Should the impulse from the explosion carry the engine above normal speed, succeeding explosions while said engine remains above normal speed are prevented by the governor mechanism, which com prises a curved weight 11, pivoted at 12 to one of the spokes of the wheel 13, made fast upon the shaft of the engine. The opposite end of said weight is secured by a spring 14, which normally retains said weight in the position shown in Fig. 5. Formed in said weight is a slot 15, through which passes a pin 16, that is fixed in one of the arms of said wheel 13. The slot 15 is concentric with the hinged or pivotal point 12, upon which said weight is adapted to swing. Therefore an accelerated movement of the wheel will cause the spring-confined end of said weight to swing outward by centrifugal force and carry said weight into contact with the pivoted lever 17, which projects from a rotary sleeve 18, thereby depressing said lever and carrying the detent 19, also mounted on said sleeve, into the path of the arm q, holding said arm from contact with the pin p on the rotary disk 0 and stopping the movement of the rock-shaft t at a time when said shaft has carried the arm to thereon against the valve-stem of the exhaust-valve and has moved the rod '0 so as to cause the collar o thereon to bear forcibly against the sleeve r, whereby the arm 8, carried by said sleeve, is caused to engage the stem of the admission-valve c and hold said valve closed, preventing the entrance of a charge into the combustion-chamber while the engine is running above normal speed. When the speed of the engine falls below the normal, the spring 14 will return the weight 11 to its former position, thereby releasing the lever 17 and permitting the spring 20 to turn the sleeve 18 and carry the detent 19 thereon out of the path of the arm q, when the rock-shaftzf will be put into operation and the engine will receive an impulse, as before described.

After the engine has been started and has gain ed sufficient momentum the sliding collar 26 on rod V is moved along by hand upon said rod to a point under the rear end of the pawl 8, thereby raising and supporting the rear end of said pawl and depressing the forward end thereof, so that the duration of its contact with the spring 7 will be shorter and said spring will be released, so as to produce a spark just before the piston reaches the limit of its stroke, whereby when the piston is moving rapidly the pressure caused by the explosion acts upon it at a time when it is in the best position to receive the force of the pressure and accelerate the movement of the engine.

Having thus fully set forth this invention, what I claim is- I 1. In a vapor or gas engine, the combination of the valve mechanism adapted to be operated in one direction, only, by a moving part of the engine, the igniting mechanism operated by the valve mechanism through the movement imparted by the engine to said valve mechanism, means for intermittently engaging the valve and igniting mechanism with and disengaging said mechanism from.

a moving part of the engine and a spring for moving the valve and igniting mechanism in a direction opposite to that imparted thereto by the engines movement.

2. In a vapor or gas engine, the combination with the valve mechanism, of a centrifugal weight attached to the balance-wheel of the engine, a spring for restraining said Weight, means for rest-rioting the movement of the Weight upon its pivot, and a lever 'con nected with the valve mechanism extending into the path of said weight.

3. In a vapor or gas engine, the combination of the combustion-chamber having an admission-port communicating therewith, a valve controlling said port, a reciprocatory rod crossing the end of the combustion-chamber carrying a loose sleeve thereon, an arm extending from said sleeve and engaging the stem of the admission-valve, and a fixed collar on said rod adapted to engage said sleeve to hold the admission-valve closed.

4. In a vapor or gas engine, the combination of the combustion-chamber having an admission-port communicating therewith, a valve controlling said port, a reciprocatory rod crossing the'end of the combustion-chamber carrying a loose sleeve thereon, an arm extending from said sleeve and engaging the end of the admission-valve, a fixed collar on said rod adapted to engage said sleeve to hold the admission-valve closed, a carburetor communicating with the admission-valve, apump communicating with said carburetor and an arm extending from said reciprocatory rod and engaging the piston-rod of said pump.

5. The combination with the valve-actuating mechanism, of a combustion-chamber, a valve-controlled port communicating with said chamber, a reciprocatory rod carrying an arm engaging the stem of said valve,an igniter in said combustion-chamber,a pivoted dog carried by said reciprocatory rod, a spring-arm connected with the igniter extending into the path of said dog whereby the igniter is actuated in conjunction with the operation of the valve in the port communicating with the combustion-chamber.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

MADISON F. BATES. Witnesses:

WM. A. FRASER, Mrs. AUGUSTA POWELL. 

